Why do we sacrifice our beautiful ones
by diekleinetribute
Summary: "You all know about the Hunger Games. You might think that these horrible feasts are now gone, that they are nothing more than a sad chapter in the history of Panem which will never take place again. Well, it isn't over just yet. Happy 76th Hunger Games with the Capitol kids!" Perrie felt astonished. This couldn't be real.
1. Prologue

Prologue

An old man returned from Capitol, angry as he always was when confronted with its selfish citizens. His acquaintance had tried without success to convince him to see a proper doctor there instead of just being treated by their District's self-taught healers. Even though the man moved stiffly like a squeaky wooden door, he looked better than the majority of the people his age. He had few wrinkles and his hair grew still thick and dark black without a single gray tress. He was dressed up in a high-quality brown woolen coat, creased trousers and a rare bowler hat which several of the Capitol's flatterers had tried to buy from him.

The old man, as the head of one of the biggest factories in Panem, possessed appropriately high status. Lately, Teddy Woodward had started to delegate some of his duties, finally feeling that he might possibly be able to retire. His unintelligible rage towards the Capitol was the only thing that still got him to continue. When a few months ago the word of a final Hunger Games with Capitol kids begun to spread, Teddy was among the first and most avid supporters of the idea. He thought that the residents most responsible should be punished the hardest, and made a suggestion of forming a committee to choose designated children to compete. Finding mentors was a harder task when they couldn't use old victors anymore, but with little threat they managed to persuade 23 Capitol inhabitants to fulfill the vacancies.

Teddy ignored the night's biting strong wind and dragged himself slowly towards his factory's warehouse. He stopped before its massive door to hit it repeatedly with his engraved walking stick. Very soon a young and good-natured trainee appeared to let him in. Teddy struck the trainee with his stick and grunted him to show the letters.

The reason why Teddy had to enter an almost empty warehouse was to check the letters, which had become almost an obsession for him. Actually, he came to search just one letter that had been mixed with the thousands of other envelopes and backups. Teddy wasn't going to take the risk that they would lose Alden's letter. Teddy still got angry thinking about the selfish Capitol bastard Marcus Alden. He was a highly positioned member of the single party that had led Panem, so it was obvious that his son would be chosen to tribute. Teddy was almost surprised how little effort it took for him to get the kid thrown in with the chosen ones.

There seemed to be nothing wrong with the invitation letters. Even though Teddy would soon turn 80, he had run the largest paper mill of District Seven for decades. Once he had been just a poor trainee, so it was easy for him to figure how their sly minds worked. They'd try to do the job quickly, but of course, carefully enough so that they wouldn't get caught by their employer. But close enough wouldn't satisfy Teddy. Not this time.

He went to the fifth box and grimaced. _There! _Teddy smiled eerily when he had just been given a justified reason to come up with a punishment for his workers.

"Hey, hear this Jamie!" he shouted wrathfully to the stupid trainee. "I found Harlow Foster, Rupert Sullivan and Hanna Romy all in this." He tapped the top of a cardboard box with a yellow cross. Teddy checked his list, though it was unnecessary since he had memorized it weeks ago. "Foster should be with the red ones, Sullivan in the green and Romy among the blue-marked envelopes. So would you give me an explanation? What the HELL they all doing HERE instead?! What are you, blind? See this is damn YELLOW!"

Jamie tensed up and swallowed hard. "I-I apologize for that. I must have been mistaken... I- I'll get it fixed right away, s-sir."

"Just get out of my sight you idiot!" Teddy pulled out his ancient pistol to scare the idle trainee off. It was hard because his rheumatism made his hands to shake violently. As a result of that and his poor vision the thing accidentally fired a bullet. It hit Jamie's leg. He staggered, wailing from the pain, before he fell down and bumped into a deep paper cutting blade with his face. Teddy had nowhere near enough time to pay any attention to the unconscious or perhaps dead worker. The mess caused by this moron was now endangering the reaping that was due to be held next week.

Teddy was boiling with anger. He informed, or rather, threatened his workers to get to work at 1 a.m. After they arrived he first supervised the work so it would be done properly this time. Then he headed back to his office where he would later meet up with a colleague.

In his office, Teddy limped to his desk and opened its top drawer to take out an old picture of two children glued together. There was a nearly grown-up girl and a younger boy. The boy and the girl both had kind, freckled faces, reddish hair and sea green eyes. They shared similar looks as well as the gentlest personalities. Teddy cried silently and couldn't believe how long ago it was since they were gone. He went short of breath when a sudden aching pain came to his chest. Teddy had never talked about his loss after what happened. He wouldn't now either since he was old and already giving in to his illness.

He tried to remember the kindness of the girl in the picture. Teddy had been just 14 when his parents died in a wildfire. It was 11 years after the Dark Days ended, when District Seven was just rubble. Teddy got a job from the only paper mill and barely survived with it. He was malnourished, ashen and homeless orphan, and Maribel the only person who saw anything in him. Teddy had had many women but she was the only one he had ever truly loved.

Maribel was reaped in the 15th Hunger Games when she was 18, and died at the bloodbath of the first day. Teddy was forced to watch Maribel's death live on TV and he wanted to die because he let that happen to her. When Maribel's name was drawn in the reaping, Teddy volunteered to replace her, even though it was impossible and he knew it.

They had a son who was just two days old in the day of the reaping. Teddy was desperate when he considered the options he had. He could go to the Arena with Maribel and protect her and help her to come home. But there was no guarantee that she would win, and their son could lose both his parents, so Teddy made his decision to stay with Seth.

In Seth's first reaping twelve years later he was one of the few children who hadn't taken any tesseraes. Teddy had done all he could to save Seth from them, but they took him too.

"Are you sure we're to do this?" Teddy's colleague had come in and stayed quiet for a while before he spoke to him. Teddy crushed the picture in his palm and nodded as an answer. He wasn't the President of Panem, but he had connections which could have given him a slightest possibility of getting the Capitol Hunger Games cancelled. He had though no intensions to call them off, now when he could get the Capitol to pay back what they had done to him.

"1754. It's the final count of all the dead tributes in the Districts together." Teddy paused to think about them and felt disgusted. "No one stood up for them. Why should we then stand up for 23 Capitol kids?"

After Seth's death, Teddy had gone completely mad. When time passed he could get over losing Maribel. But losing his child Teddy could never overcome. Teddy became absent-minded but managed to seem sane to others. He started to rise in the social hierarchy and became one of richest people in their District. Teddy pretended to care about his assets when they really meant nothing for him. Seth had been everything to him. He still was. Every time Teddy felt he should do something to the coming Hunger Games, he thought of the excruciating scream in his mind, his little child's cry when he had been whipped to death.

Teddy wasn't there to witness the revenge he had waited for 49 years. His illness took him before the Capitol Hunger Games started. It was a good thing - he was better off not having to watch a twelve year old boy like Seth lose his life in the Arena.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A girl with bleached skin, white eyebrows and platinum blonde hair straightened her brimmed hat and blue satin dress. She waited nervously to emerge the Capitol's Grand Sports' Stadium where President Snow's memorial service was being held. She would have preferred to pass to whole occasion. Perrie wasn't really loyal to the typical Capitol lifestyle. She didn't watch the Hunger Games, nor get excited over them. Seeing starving, sometimes extremely sick children made her feel helpless, knowing there were plenty of them out there and there was nothing she could do to help those kids.

Pearl Preston, who was better known as Perrie, had spent all the 17 years of her life in the Capitol. Her father, a respected Peacekeeper in charge of the District Two's Peacekeeper Academy, had told Perrie that if she wanted to keep her head, she couldn't afford to do anything which would make her seem like a traitor of society. Usually she was unnoticeable and kept a low profile about her true beliefs. Perrie couldn't pretend during the Hunger Games that she loved them. Every now and then she feared enormously that someone would get her. That they would imprison her and cut her tongue off and she would become an Avox.

"Please pass me your arm. I will take some blood." Perrie was standing opposite to a caretaker who looked at her and waited. Perrie stretched her arm and wondered why they were taking blood samples as the woman analyzed her blood carefully. Perrie and her half- brother Quinn had earlier gone through a heavy-handed security check and lost their smart phones. These kinds of actions weren't common for government held events.

Perrie heard a weird, beeping sound emerging of the device that searched her sample. Some people near her turned to look. Strangely enough, she made a note that there were no adults. The exception was the caretakers, the security men and other ones arranging the service. Among those who had actually been invited, the youngest were about Quinn's age which was 13. The oldest ones seemed to be close to 18.

"You might carry an infection from the biological weapons they used in the war", the caretaker said having a sorrowful look at Perrie.

"What? Is it dangerous?" she asked slightly concerned.

"No. There's nothing you should be worried about. But I inject you, just in case." The caretaker sounded consoling, but Perrie still wasn't reassured.

"Okay, that was it. You can go." An injection of gray liquid, which they told her was an antibiotic, was injected into her arm. Perrie moved to the side to wait for Quinn, who was behind her on the same line. The ominous beeping sound and injection of the gray liquid came up with him too.

The inside of the stadium was crowded with boisterous guests. Quinn crossed his arms, irritated. He craved balcony seats but there weren't any ones available. It didn't surprise Perrie because they were always taken first in case of rain. Capitol people didn't take risks when it came to their outfits. The Stadium had one big stage in the middle, and many large speakers in the sides. Perrie and Quinn had to settle to the field where there weren't any chairs, just the grass that was so tall it reached Perrie's knee.

"Why didn't you pick me up earlier?" Quinn whined. "Now we have to be here in the sun for who knows how long. And it's windy too! Those fools confiscated my hairspray!" Quinn took a lot of pressure of his tall red and blue Mohawk. It was his trademark along with his uncountable piercings and otherwise quite normal Capitol styled clothes apart from the skulls.

"Sorry. I was tired so it took me time to wake up in the morning." The real reason, which Perrie didn't tell Quinn, was that she had had another fight with her mother. She didn't want him to think about her own problems.

"You see, we're only a few ten feet from the stage. Wouldn't that make us like VIPs?"

"No." Quinn looked at her crossly between his narrowed eyes. Perrie just ignored him and sat to the ground next to a girl about the same age or a year younger than she was. The girl winked after overhearing the conversation. Perrie agreed that Quinn's childishness was sometimes amusing.

"Is he your brother?" the girl asked. Her voice sounded similar, light and friendly, to Perrie.

"Yeah, he is. Actually we're half-siblings", Perrie replied to her.

"You're so lucky to come here together. I have no one here I'm familiar with."

"I heard they reserved many places for this memorial service. Like the City Circle." Perrie was relieved that she didn't have to go there. Any areas related to the Hunger Games made her feel uneasy.

"And they reserved those two big concert halls too, or at least that's what I heard." The girl offered her hand to Perrie, a gentle smile on her face. Perrie liked her from an instant. "I'm Greta. It's nice to have some company here. What's your name?"

Perrie was just about to answer Greta when the speakers came alive with a large sound. On the stage stood a young woman with a few guards but she remained silent. Behind her was a huge screen shooting live footage from the City Circle. It was packed with kids as well. In the City Circle's Central stage were several guards and one white-dressed man probably in his mid-twenties. The man had a depraved smile and he looked ready to make an unforgettable show. He started to speak on the microphone in a clear and powerful tone.

"First of all, it's time to thank. Thank for the rebels for all their brave actions and personal sacrifices. Making Snow finally kick the bucket was a blessing for this country!"

"What a eulogy for Snow indeed", Quinn grinned.

"I think I don't need to go on with the details. You all know about the Hunger Games. It took lives of many children and eventually, adult victors. You might think that these horrible feasts are now gone, that they are nothing more than a sad chapter in the history of Panem which will never take place again. Well, it isn't over just yet. There is a reason to all of you being gathered here today. From where you are now, you're participating in a reaping."

The man paused. On the edges of the City Circle occurred fights between those keeping order and those kids and teenagers who tried to escape the area. The officials ordered the teens to sit down and listen. But the teens didn't and panic reigned.

Someone shrieked and she was immediately followed by the others. The footage of the City Circle changed to massive flashes of light. Perrie was frightened by hearing big sounds of explosions coming from the speakers and seeing children in the screen dripping blood out of their ears. The unarmed participants gave up and started to wander back their seats. The man leading the ceremony returned quickly to his speech.

"Those were stun grenades. If you don't remain peaceful there will be more. Fleeing is impossible. If you think you're blind or have bad hearing it should most likely be just temporary. Those who received injuries are however recommended to visit a hospital later. "

He didn't need to make out his point twice. No one screamed anymore, the only sounds that remained were cries and muted critiques. It was unbelievable for Capitol kids that they would take part in the Hunger Games.

"The tributes won't be chosen by lottery this time. Volunteering is also prohibited. The ones going to fight each other till the death have already been chosen."

Perrie felt astonished. This couldn't be real. She closed her eyes and said to herself, _when I open my eyes this awful nightmare is over. _When she looked up again, nothing had changed.

"I want you to think about the meaning behind this phrase. 'No matter what path the child chooses to take, they all lead back home'."

_They are killing those whose parents were responsible for all the horrific actions toward the Districts. 24 Capitol children would pay for their fathers' sins._

"Welcome to the Capitol Hunger Games! Now, please, give big applause to the first tribute taking part to this cheerful competition! The President's granddaughter, or should I call her our very own princess, Mila Snow!"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Everyone had their eyes drilled into a breathtakingly beautiful girl. She was tall and exactly the perfect size every Capitol girl wanted to be. The long garnet dress matched her light brown skin while the girl's dark eyes and somewhat odd make-up made her face seem exotic. She had many comely pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets, and her black hair was pulled back with a golden headband which had hundreds of colorful gemstones in it. The girl glanced at the stage proudly and didn't make a move to take her place there. Perrie's first impression of Mila Snow was vainglorious.

Mila didn't seem first to fully understand what she had just heard. When the guards made a gesture to move her, she got an outburst of rage.

"What are you doing?! Get off me, this is outrageous!" She shouted at one guard and scratched the other one with her nails which left red scars on him. They took her arms but Mila kicked the same guard with her high heel shoe. The guards lost patience, and grabbed her legs and carried her to the stage.

"Stop this immediately! Please, Someone, HELP ME!" She screeched at the top of her lungs.

Mila was acting like demented. She wriggled and shouted at the top of her lungs, but no one did anything for her. They just watched her dragging like hypnotized. Surely they wouldn't really do this to her. She was a part of the Snow family. In the Capitol, they were untouchable.

"Miss Snow, we do expect a little more elegant behavior from you." Mila hadn't calmed down at all. She only eyed the speaker and spat on him.

"Well, I must say that you left us with no choice", he stated heavily. The man moved to make room for a caretaker who ambled toward Mila and the guards with a small tray. She disinfected Mila's arm and gave her an injection which tranquilized Mila instantly. Mila smiled dreamily and let the guards lead her to the side of the stage.

"She's alright, we didn't hurt her. She was given a dose of tranquilizers. It's for her own good." The host turned to look at Mila, so the cameras would get a glimpse. She seemed totally satisfied. The host cleared his throat as the reaping continued.

"Politicians' offspring seem to have the odds in their favor this year! Make way for the next tribute taking part, Ares Lemur!" Ares was about 16 and he was well-built and handsome. He had very short blond hair and the letter D tattooed to his left cheek. Ares wore a simple white-black outfit that copied the ones designed for Peacekeepers, looking out of place when surrounded by people in fine dresses and suits. He seemed brusque and didn't resist being picked at all. He just marched to the stage arrogantly, as if he owned the whole city.

"He could crush her in seconds", Quinn voiced out. "I think the guy sensed this would happen and took D to stand for dangerous."

Perrie had had her focus in the City Circle ever since the stun grenades exploded, and she found some of the participants in the Grand Stadium still watching the screen as if dreaming. The majority, however, were already chatting about ordinary topics. Perrie had expected that. It was horrible but at the same time logical since the forthcoming terrors of the Games weren't threatening them.

"The second girl chosen must have been destined to be a tribute. Her family members have done everything imaginable to push her to the Arena. They have been Leaders, Gamemakers, Peacekeepers and Soldiers, to list a few. I would keep my mind especially alert around this one. Our next tribute is Isis Crane!"

Perrie had a feeling of inferiority for a quick moment. She had felt it just moments ago when she thought of how she was nothing compared to Mila. But Perrie had left her jealous thoughts at once when she heard some girls behind her calling Mila names and laughing at her spitefully. If Perrie had the courage, she would have said to them that it was mean. Maybe Mila was a little bit annoying, but still…

If there was anyone who could be thought being in the same level with Mila, it was Isis Crane. She was dark-skinned and wore an expensive dress and jewel headband too, but other than that they lacked similarities. Whereas Mila possessed aristocratic beauty, Isis looked serene and angelic. She glided to the stage quietly and remained calm in spite of her friends who started hysteric crying. Isis looked very young; Perrie estimated she'd be around fourteen, before noticing her tattoos. In Capitol, taking a permanent tattoo was a rite of passage when one turned sixteen. Though Perrie didn't have any tattoos herself, she liked the tiny stars and butterflies on Isis's cheeks and shoulder blades

"She's in my class. Ares is in our school too, but in a different class. I don't really know him", Greta told them.

"Does she have some connection to the Crane who was the Head Gamemaker two years ago?" Quinn asked. Perrie felt herself pretty much of an outsider. She didn't know the Games well enough to know what a Head Gamemaker was.

"Isis and Seneca were siblings" Greta answered to Quinn.

"Really? They don't look much alike." Quinn looked surprised.

"I guess they could be just half-siblings then." Greta shrugged.

"Ha! That wouldn't be surprising. Julius Crane is Seneca's father, right? I've read that he has ten children and like a harem of women. Are you friends with Isis? What's she like?" Quinn was a total opposite to Perrie, and he had been always into the Games. Like many others who were too young to sponsor the tributes, he still searched a favorite to cheer for. Though Quinn preferred Careers, so far none of his favorites had made it to the Final.

"Um, well, you see that… she's stunning. Even my brother said that, and he's really demanding with that stuff. You would think that Isis is wonderful. But if you get to observe her long enough, you wouldn't be friends with her. She's out of question no matter how lovely she seems." It took time for Greta to think about what she should say. She looked a bit embarrassed. "I don't know how to explain it but that man's right. You should really be sharp around her. Isis leads this gang in school. The others will do anything she demands and they can be quite harsh."

"I'm not saying you're lying, but that sounds hard to believe…" Quinn continued in a skeptical voice.

During Quinn and Greta's talk two more children had come to join the previous ones on the stage. Perrie felt sympathy for those two small kids named Maddox and Hanna. They shivered and looked ready to burst into tears at any moment. The audience in both City Circle and Grand Stadium pretty much ignored them, thinking they wouldn't stand a chance against the others. Even Perrie knew with her limited knowledge that the twelve year olds died generally before everyone else.

"And the last place is reserved for Chester Ferrer, the son of our lovely Attorney General! Excuse me, I have to correct myself. She is now the previous AG. I guess she got fired when there wasn't much we could name justice in this contaminated place we know as Panem."

"Come on, where is our tribute? More speed and less talk! You have plenty of time for goodbyes after the reaping!"

When Chester had taken his place on the stage, the chatting in the Stadium started to fade. They had stopped at calling names but Perrie suspected it wasn't over. What would be a battle with six tributes? The fight would come between Ares and Chester, when they'd first get rid of the other four, and the winner would be an easy guess. Chester was definitely the oldest tribute so far, but he had looked like a nervous wreck from the minute they picked him.

"Goodbye dear ladies and gentlemen! We will continue with Ruby Lee in the South Capitol's concert hall." The man made a last big wave with his hand and the City Circle was off-screen. Another place and speaker came to replace it. The next speaker was a woman who resembled more of an Indian cobra. Ruby smiled widely and her free hand was showing a thumb up.

"Happy Hunger Games! Gosh, it's always as nice to say that! This is something very, very new to us, but it just gives us a bigger reason to be excited, doesn't it?"

Ruby's fake voice was too much for Perrie and she started tearing the grass beside her to distract herself with something. Perrie had some fairly good friends, and they were all in the South Capitol's concert hall, in the risk of getting elected.

"No bad feelings for the first six, but I think the next pack of tributes will become a very tough competition. Don't lie down too comfortably if your Mommy or Daddy worked at the Game Center. The next six tributes are all, that is, the flesh and blood of the Gamemakers!"

"Greta", Quinn started slowly, "didn't you say your father was a Gamemaker?"

Perrie had already sighed from relief thinking that if there was anything good at the moment, at least she didn't know anyone whose parent was a Gamemaker. Until now. She turned worried to look at Greta who nodded to the question before the color escaped from her face and she became motionless.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The hostess, Ruby Lee, did a little jig. Everyone at the reaping strained to hear who would be among the six announced names. Ruby posed in front of the camera in super-bendy positions like she really was a snake - even her laugh sounded like a hissing. She almost dropped her microphone but caught it right in the last minute.

"Let's find out who's the seventh tribute to show her bravery, to pursue riches and glory, and to have a chance to become a legend. You want to know her name?" Ruby waited to hear shouting from the South Capitol's audience before telling who the tribute was. "Give it up to Emme Ferrer!"

Emme battled against all the fashion rules of the Capitol with her messy red-colored hair and black punk-stylish clothes. She was in perfect physical shape, making just the stereotype of a person being dedicated to tribute arts, and had an expressionless face as she moved on to the stage. Perrie wondered if Emme was related to the tribute chosen before her as they had the same, quite rare surname. Quinn would have probably tried to squeeze the information from Greta who seemed to know many of the tributes if Perrie hadn't been between them.

"Are you alright Greta? Is there someone, in the concert hall…"Perrie started but soon trailed off because she felt weird. She didn't think herself much of a comforter. In situations like this she had no idea what to do or say.

"I know they will take my brother. They already chose Emme Ferrer when her parents have made far less horrid things to happen the tributes than..." Greta's voice sounded so weak and small that Perrie could barely hear her. She turned awkwardly to hug her and looked to Quinn for help. He got the tip and shoved the people in front them to set himself closer to them.

"Greta, I know you're probably not in the mood for a talk, but could you tell me your whole name?"

"It's Greta Sullivan", she sobbed leaning against Perrie.

"When Ruby Lee aka the snake face has ripped all the six tributes I'll tell you they didn't pick him. Don't worry. It'd be okay", Quinn comforted Greta and tapped her shoulder.

"But Quinn…how do you know that?" Perrie didn't want to him to confuse Greta or giving her false hope.

"That concert hall is almost as crowded as this Stadium. It's like a one out of eight thousand chance to get chosen", he shrugged. Then Quinn smiled to Perrie as he grabbed her favorite satin scarf from her neck with one rapid movement, and hold it casually for Greta to use as a handkerchief.

"Let's move on people!" Ruby screamed enthusiastically."The eight chosen tribute is especially lucky to compete. His 19th birthday comes in the first day of this year's Hunger Games, so the timing is perfect for Kane De Vulcan!" The cameras turned to show Kane who had to be as strong as three normal people.

"I personally checked his height which is 6 feet 6 inches. He's also the ruling under-twenty tribute arts champion!" Ruby continued.

In South Capitol Kane stood up and ran to the stage taking high fives from people, then somersaulted backwards and tossed his jacket and shirt away. Ruby clapped and hissed and Perrie just stared Kane her mouth agape.

"Look at that!" Ruby prompted. "He has 'The Hunger Games' made up to his chest black and red! He is surely a very dedicated fan, but the question is that, is his tattoo Hot… or Not?"

"Definitely Not", Quinn spitted and put his palms to cover his eyes. "That's just gross. Tell me when it's over or when they have _girls _taking their clothes off!"

"I know Kane", Greta suddenly spoke. "And Emme too. I guess they'll both get high scores."

"You know like every other tribute! How can't I! Unfair!" Quinn uttered with jealousy. Perrie was about to remark that Quinn should be happy he didn't know the tributes. All except maybe one of them would be dead in weeks. He wouldn't though understand it that way, so she just kept silent.

Tribute arts was a sport that gave the Capitol an experience of the Hunger Games, but with guaranteed one hundred percent bullet-proof safety. The city had one big theme park called the T.A Park which income ticket cost considerably. Perrie didn't like the Park and had visited it only a couple times, last time many years ago, in spite of the fact that her mother worked there.

In tribute arts any kind of physical contact was strictly forbidden. The Park was equipped with cameras and security men in every corner. All the weapons had their own glass-made houses where could be one person at the time. Inside of the weapon house could be for example a dozen of knives, and targets to throw them at from different distances. Besides knives, the spears, axes and swords were the most popular spots and it would take over an hour to wait for eight minute time with the weapons. But people like Gamemakers and Muttdesigners and their children could easily walk over the long lines.

Climbing and pushing through obstacles were average stuff. Nerds went to setting up snares, identifying plants or making weird structures of rocks. If mastering the athlete and fighting part well and winning the competitions, doing tribute arts brought huge popularity to the person, especially in school.

Ruby called one girl and boy more; the girl looked old, probably 18, and the boy about 15. One advantage for the Gamemakers' kids was that they would get life saving tips from their parents. They each also seemed to be I'll-fight-till-the-end type, until the next tribute came to break the pattern. She was small and feeble and didn't look much older than Quinn.

"Only one more tribute from here. It's so sad!" Ruby bawled pathetically. "The last Hunger Games! Imagine that I will become jobless. My career - over! OVER!"

"Heaven's sake she's freaking out!" Quinn exclaimed. Perrie hushed him to be quiet. Greta had raised her head from Perrie's shoulder and managed to get herself in a slightly better shape.

"Just one more name", Perrie encouraged her trying to sound calm, when she was actually really scared of what would come in next. If the South Capitol was done with their tributes, more were to come from somewhere else.

"When I have NO place in this world anymore, it gives me the greatest joy to show someone else his. Welcome to the game Rupert Sullivan!"

At first, Rupert walked towards his seat not showing his face, his back bent down like a prisoner going to execution. Then, he just suddenly turned over and beat up the nearest guard. The guards had quick reflex and they hit him back, but not with as much power as Rupert hit them. Still Rupert got bleeding cuts in his neck and lip and temple. The guards placed him to his chair and then he suddenly calmed down as quickly as he had gone aggressive, even though he wasn't given a dose of tranquilizers like Mila. Rupert looked at the other, surprised looking tributes and didn't bother to wipe away the tears coming down on his cheeks; like he didn't care at all that the whole nation was watching and evaluating him.

Perrie thought if Rupert searched for his twin when he stared at the camera and formed words she couldn't make clear off. Rupert looked a lot like Greta; except that Greta was more average. She was medium-height and -weight, and had a good tan in her skin, smooth dark brown hair with green dip dye, dark brown eyes and long eyelashes. The same features made Rupert to stand out and every other girl in the audience sighed after him. Rupert had his arms covered with black tattoos, whereas Greta had only one. It stated: "turn your wounds into wisdom".


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The North Capitol's Concert Hall was almost too small for all the invited participants to fit in. It was nothing compared to its counterpart, the mesmerizing South Hall. Only the lowest storey of the North Hall had survived the bombings, and its walls' white brick had cracked. Even the smallest wind gust dropped grit of the ceiling. Since the air-conditioning was not working, June's heat was killing the people inside.

Three boys were sitting in the middle of the hall floor. Two of them looked around them and tried to figure out why they were here. Titus Cruz bended his head back to see the lights above him. The lighting was imperfect, showing more of the right than the left. The cause was one of the big lamps that stayed dark. If Titus would have a ladder, he could have it easily fixed.

"How did you get that through the security?" his friend Josh breathed next to him, but didn't sound surprised. Titus- whom everyone called by his last name, Cruz- reached for a laptop in his bag. A guard pasted them, and Cruz put the laptop back immediately. He waited a minute to get to a safety zone before finally starting it.

"I designed a few imperceptible, extra pockets and a double base to this bag." Cruz kept the laptop with its cords and then tossed the bag to Josh. "You can try to find them. I bet you can't", he continued in a teasing tone. Cruz loved to brag about his intelligence. He created all the time things which were beyond comprehension for others with their under-the-radar qualities. Cruz had graduated university at 16 and been a part of the laboratory team designing the poisonous fog to the Quarter Quell Arena when he was just 17.

"So cool! Did you sew it too?" Josh asked him. Cruz shook his head as he and Dale, the third member of their group, laughed out loud.

Josh was to make sure that Cruz would keep his feet on the ground. There could be no question but Cruz was unusually smart. He had incredible mechanic and engineering skills, and he worked hard to know even more. Cruz was happy to feel that he was useful when he could help others if they needed a repair man. But sometimes he had difficulties to come along with his peers. He had a habit of overestimating himself and making decisions for others which didn't make him a very good team player.

Cruz was soon taken aback when he learned that he was in reaping. He had agonized over something being in disorder from the moment he had read his letter to attend President Snow's memorial service. He wanted to skip the pompous ceremony when he didn't really care about politics or society. In the invitation, it said that everyone invited must attend and if not, there were severe consequences. Cruz wasn't afraid of the punishments, whatever they might be, but he didn't want a mark on his data to harm his promising career, so he pretended being a mourning citizen.

The first tribute from the City Circle caught his eye for a moment. Cruz had even met her, a couple of times. Mila Snow was 15, three years younger than him. He thought her as a retarded, foolish girl who just fuzzed with her looks. She was just the type of a person who didn't know any of the real stuff of the Games, just the outfits, haircuts and which stylists were rising stars.

Cruz moved his sweating hands on the keyboard at incomprehensible speed. He didn't trust the authorities' information and wanted to find answers himself. First he needed to know why they had insisted in giving him an antidote against biological weapons. It was impossible that the weapons had anything to do with him since he had worked in an underground laboratory the whole time there was war. _I'm just too valuable for them to lose_, Cruz smiled. He clicked the title "tracking systems" and then "liquids".

The file confirmed his suspects: what he got in the entrance was to track him. Cruz stopped programming and thought through the facts. He knew no one else got the tracking liquid. Josh and Dale went normally forward the line after they had given blood. So the arrangers didn't want to track everyone but just him. Well, not correctly, because Cruz had seen the caretaker fill the syringe from a small bottle which had the gray liquid enough for five or six dozens. Then the thought hit him. Cruz realized that he had no time for panicking but he couldn't help himself when he knew that he was one of the tributes to fight.

The ceremony moved forward to South Capitol's Hall. Cruz figured that six tributes from each four reaping spots would get chosen. The preparation of the tracking liquid was grueling and complex job so its price was very high. They wouldn't waste it on anyone else than to the tributes chosen beforehand. Cruz guessed that the tributes' moves weren't monitored much when he had no problems assessing his contentious memos. They used the tracking just to find the tributes from the crowd with the cameras. But it meant also that there was no way for Cruz to escape. Even if he'd managed a flight, they'd always find him unless he cut his hand off with the tracer without any eyewitnesses.

Having worked for the Games, Cruz knew that his ordeal would start way sooner than he reached the Arena. It would begin the minute their speaker Blanche Cavanagh would announce his name. Cruz was determined not to die when everything was still ahead of him. He was a Gamemaker and knew how to survive. Sure, he couldn't beat Kane De Vulcan in a fight by his basic history of working out tribute arts twice a week. He wouldn't get the charm points like the Gamemaker's son Rupert Sullivan. Cruz had olive skin and dark features, and he looked quite plain to be from the Capitol.

The North Hall's time came way too early. Their hostess Blanche Cavanagh started announcing the tributes' names.

"District 13 had some of Panem's most intelligent people on their side. Without the weapons they helped to design and build, the rebellion wouldn't have been possible." Blanche was very pretty, about 20 years old. Cruz hadn't seen her before so this would have to be her first year to host.

Cruz continued his work hoping that she wouldn't call him first. He didn't waste any of his valuable time to the files which told everything about the Games. He knew already the majority of it, and what he didn't he had three days to learn it in the Training Center. He needed to acquire knowledge of something they couldn't teach him there. Cruz knew how to do it, in laboratory, with time. But the Arena was a totally different story.

"Lot of the scientists, however, used their discoveries to dominate the Districts. They sold their ideas to the leaders. They were in the central of gathering the wealth for a small minority. Those scientists' children will be chosen today."

"How lame", Dale grouched. "Why we had to get the boring woman?"

"The first name I'm going to call…" Blanche started to read. "Avery Carter."

She seemed familiar. Cruz thought if he'd seen her before. He couldn't remember but it didn't matter because he'd already chosen his ally to be Mila Snow. She was old enough to make through the bloodbath but young enough that she had no chance of killing him. She was stupid not to notice what he would clandestinely be doing there and her loud voice was a good ability too- Cruz wouldn't have to be too near her and he'd still hear if someone tried to attack them. Hopefully Mila would be confiding enough to believe that the alliance was helping her too.

Cruz stopped to reflect what he'd say to his parents the last time he'd see them. He would convince his father that he shouldn't blame himself because he didn't hate him. It was his father's fault that Cruz got chosen but it could have been his own. Cruz regretted now that he had done all the wrong choices. He hadn't understood how unfair the Games were, until now when they would be his.

"The fourth name I'm going to call is the Head Muttdesigner's son…"

It was Cruz. His father had been in charge of the Mutts as long as he remembered.

"Josh, I want you to do something for me" Cruz hurried. He broke the laptop so it couldn't be used in a while, not before someone with brains would make the effort to fix it. "Get rid of this bag. Or if you like the bag, just take the computer out. Hit it to the wall, step on it, spill drinks to it. Do anything to make it break. Then throw it into Border Lake."

Cruz noticed that he was now televised through the whole Panem and everyone was waiting for him. Even if he had known this would come, it was hard for him to even walk straight. Cruz thought the reaping would be over soon and tried not to faint. He had to fight tears when he thought that he was probably the only tribute ever to truly deserve his death. He should be the first one to die. But he wanted to get a second chance in life so everyone would know that he could be better than this.

Cruz knew the Games inside out and that fact scared the hell out of him. He knew only one thing that never changed in the Hunger Games. _No matter how smart you played it, you still might lose._ In the Hunger Games there were no second chances. Failing would end all.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Perrie's tiny drink bottle was next to nothing for three persons to drink. They still had to conform to it, since in Grand Stadium there was no real place to buy water and it had been over five hours since they left home.

"Was that all?" Quinn asked looking shocked when Perrie took the last drop. She nodded and wiped the sweat from her face. Her thick layers of foundation cream and powder felt disgusting.

Perrie breathed heavily and blocked her eyes from the stinging sunshine. She was so tired due to the heat and thirst and shock of the reaping. Quinn and particularly Greta were exhausted too.

"I'll go to ask that guy if he could sell some drinks," Quinn said as he walked over to a sneaky looking boy whose blue hair had been framed like icicles. The boy had brought two sport bags full of water bottles and his business was booming.

In the North Capitol, the reaping had ended about ten minutes ago. On the screen came the first tributes Perrie recognized. First, was Avery Carter, who didn't hold very good reputation. She was never particularly nice or polite, and Perrie had heard that in the public showings of the Games she was always drunk and shouted things like "Kill that slut!" Perrie couldn't help herself from thinking that Avery would be a killer from the "Let the Games begin". The other tribute, who had a long time ago gone to the same school as Perrie, was Titus Cruz. Perrie knew nothing about him except that he was a genius_. _He would probably win the whole thing_._

"That conman wanted fifty bugs for one bottle!" Quinn came back and spoke loud enough for the icicle-hair boy to hear him.

"So you didn't buy us water?" Perrie asked.

"I'm not dealing with robbers!" Quinn snorted.

"Okay. That's fine. I think we can go home soon anyway. It's not like we could get dehydrated in this time." Perrie tried to laugh casually but her throat just hurt.

Perrie wasn't though so sure about Greta. She didn't need to ask why Greta had cried her eyes out. Greta and Rupert seemed just like one of those so close almost-Siamese twins.

"Hey, if your brother does tribute arts, he has a really good chance of winning." Perrie tried to do something for Greta but her attempt sounded just stupid.

"I'm sure _you're_ right, Perrie", Greta snapped. "Have you ever been in any of the old Arenas? Ever met a victor? When was the last time you watched the Games, like ten years ago?" Perrie didn't answer her.

"Eleven years ago it was", Quinn said after a while. "She started that thing when she was six. It was Finnick Odair's year."

"That thing!? And how you suppose to know anyway?" Perrie asked. "You were two."

"Your mom told my mom", he shrugged.

_Of course she did_. Perrie's mother couldn't accept her, the way she was. She said to Perrie all the time things like "_No one likes a person like you who is too sensitive. You're not saving the world. You should take a hold of yourself."_ She said those in front of Perrie's friends and her dad and stepmother to make Perrie feel bad. Perrie had once asked her mother why she had to do that. She wanted to try to understand why her mother wanted to turn others against her. She had told her "_so you start acting like a normal person_."

The same girls behind them who had criticized Mila where making their stupid laugh again, and browsed Perrie like a piece of trash. Perrie was ashamed and wanted the earth to swallow her.

"You're a District Lover?" District Lover was one of the many mean names for a citizen not loyal to Capitol. Calling one Avox was the most insulting.

"If they choose someone like her I'll laugh my head off!" The girls' giggling was heinous.

"Shut up!" Quinn pointed with his middle finger. "That's none of your business."

Perrie was getting really worried for Greta. She lay on the ground and looked cumbersome trying to switch position. Her head was bouncing weirdly from side to side.

"She's not right", Perrie hushed to Quinn. "We need to get a caretaker to see her." Quinn sprinted up in the same second, making a megaphone with his hands to get noted.

"Help! There's a girl passed out!" It was maybe a bit dramatic since Greta still was conscious, but it worked and two caretakers came right away to check on her. The other caretaker was short and cross-eyed and sounded self-important when making his statement.

"We suspect heat stroke. She needs to get out of the sun." The other caretaker, who seemed more compassionate, lifted Greta to carry her away and looked down to Quinn and Perrie. "You can come with your friend. I think you all would like to get something to drink. I've been just two minutes out of shadow and I'm already dying for a strawberry flavored soda water."

The arrangers held their base under the stage, in one big space where they had long tables of food and drink, couches to sit on and ventilators to keep the air cool. Most of the people there were busy with monitoring the control panels and keeping contact to the other reaping spots.

"Go ahead", the familiar caretaker urged hailing to the drinks. "Take anything you want."

Quinn ran instantly to the nearest table. Perrie followed him, taking two bottles and a sandwich plate with her, and then walked over to Greta and gave her the plate and other bottle. Perrie placed herself in a way she could search the room better. Soon thereafter, her ears started to hurt when a woman screamed in the middle of an enormous argument. The woman was looking eye to eye to the man who had hosted the reaping in the City Circle. The arrangers whispered to each other and Perrie could make out someone asking almost silently: "What's Lucas doing here?"

"It is_ my _turn! You already got the starting! I was given the ending!" Perrie recognized the woman as their hostess and from close sight noticed that she was the famous Capitol socialite Farrah Ballentine. The man paid no attention to her but looked furiously at Perrie and Greta. Perrie figured out that Lucas was the man who had hosted the first reaping in City Circle. He seemed even more terrifying now than on screen. Perrie thought he somehow resembled President Snow, and had a bad feeling about him.

"Can't you make anything right?! What are those kids doing here?" Lucas raged.

"She has heat stroke so we had to bring them here" the friendly caretaker took courage to tell. He paused and pointed at Greta with shaking hand. "We should check at least those who are staying directly under the sun. Most of them hadn't got enough to drink…"

"_We should check them_" Lucas mimicked him with a cry-baby voice. "I DON'T CARE IF THEY _DIE_ HERE! We have a mission! How do you know they're not the chosen ones?"

Lucas came to check Perrie's hand. He looked at where they had injected her, where she now had a bruise that was formed in a weird shape, like a bird of some kind.

"Get them to the front row! NOW!"

Perrie rose up peacefully to signal that she would go voluntarily and helped Greta who staggered behind her. Still, some guards came to follow them. Lucas went out at the same door opening, strode to the stage and put his microphone on.

"Where's Quinn?" Greta asked with blurring eyes.

Perrie couldn't tell. Last time she saw Quinn, he was hiding from Lucas behind a curtain.

"Perrie, I didn't mean what I said earlier. I wanted to tell you…" Greta couldn't finish when the last part of the reaping was about to begin.

"Welcome to our final destination, the Grand Sport's Stadium!" Lucas started. Perrie's heart rate was going so fast that she could hear drumming.

"Now I want to see a little sport spirit here! Which one of the 18 tributes this far is your favorite?"

For a second the whole Stadium kept silent. Then someone shouted Kane De Vulcan. The name broke the ice and there began an agony when the participants started to shout their favorites.

"ARES LEMUR!"

"RUPERT SULLIVAN!"

"CRANE! CRANE! ISIS CRANE!"

The shouting was so loud that Perrie couldn't hear the first tribute's name. A boy about 14 years old walked haltingly to the stage. Perrie was more focused when Lucas continued with the second tribute

"The first girl tribute from here was chosen because her parents were panders. They offered the Hunger Games victors, children as young as 14 years to please the twisted-mind Capitol citizens. If their daughter wins, I swear through my heart that she won't have to go through the same. Applaud to Harlow Foster!"

Harlow had beautiful face, long black hair and very white skin. She could have been very pretty if she wouldn't have been so skinny. Harlow's frame was like an eight year old child – like a child from some District. Perrie felt despair when she had seen others like her before, others like Harlow who had been starving themselves.

"The third tribute from here is a son of a Peacekeeper. Welcome Quintus Preston!"

From the other side of the front row, guards lifted Quinn up to the stage. He had an expression on his face which was half shock and half panic. Quinn would normally get himself out of any trouble but now he could do nothing. Perrie could do nothing but watch them take him.

"Perrie, I'm so sorry" Greta said and hugged her tightly. Perrie was not able to speak. She saw images of Quinn in her mind, dying multiple different ways. A tribute sliced his throat, a Mutt tore him in pieces, a landslide came and made him to disappear… Lucas called another two tributes. Then Perrie understood why she had the same kind of bruise than the small boy they just called.

"Finally we get to the last tribute! To add more drama to the game, she has already seen her sibling to get chosen. Introduction of all the tributes is already in this evening, remember to watch it! Last but not least, welcome Pearl Preston!"

Perrie got herself to the stage. She was already crying and tried to go to her chair as quickly as possible but Lucas stopped her.

"I want to ask something from the last chosen tribute. Is there anything you regret now when you know you can be dead in five days?" Lucas asked her and offered the microphone to Perrie.

"No." _I regret I didn't join the rebels, but that's not for all the Panem to know._

Perrie fell and hit her head to the chair's back. She rose quickly and turned away from the cameras. She was the only one of their group of tributes to break down crying.

They didn't care that she protested Capitol's politics. Perrie hated the Hunger Games and everything they stood for. She had planned to go to a secret meeting of the unofficial opposition when an older student from her school had asked her to come. Perrie was fifteen then. Halfway to the meeting, her dad texted her to be careful because there had been a shooting case in the middle of the street. Perrie had a bad feeling and she went to the home area of the boy who had invited her to the meeting, and found him gone, an Avox washing his blood from the white street. Perrie didn't go to the meeting that day or any other, or join the rebels who supported the Mockingjay. She knew she should have, but decided selfishly to save herself. She watched more and more people to die because she didn't want to be one of them.

For Perrie it was no option that she would live out of the 24 tributes. She wouldn't kill, even if they tried to kill her or Quinn. She wouldn't make just her victim suffer but many others as well. Everyone was someone's son, sister, cousin, friend…

_I'm not going to choose selfishly again. That's a promise._

"Perrie" Quinn called her over the two tributes between them. He had somehow coped with the first shock and managed not to cry at all.

The screen had been divided into sections to show all the 24 tributes. The not-chosen kids were screaming enthusiastically after them, but not all of them shouted. Greta didn't.

"It's just a game" Quinn said. The tributes were given a sign that they would have to move to tell their goodbyes now. Before the guards separated them, Perrie turned to answer her brother.

"You know it isn't."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

In a hotel next to the President's Mansion, a Capitol girl was dropped off to get ready for her goodbyes. She wore an embroidered blue dress and ballerina shoes, and her waist-long brown hair was colored pink from the ends and in two braids. The girl sighed as she seized the room's luxuries around her. There was unique mahogany furniture, charming flower-arrangements, precious art, and the latest electronics. The girl thought if the previous Games' tributes had it like this or if they had to tell their goodbyes in some old and rotten mold house.

Besides the girl there were three guards in the room, keeping an eye on her. The hotel located near her reaping spot but far from the other spots so their group had to wait for others to arrive. The one hour time was equal and would start and end at the same exact second to all of them.

"What's that for?" the girl asked and looked at one of the guards and the gun that rested on his hip. Hanna thought it was a funny sight. She had just turned 13 - they could prevent her doing anything without guns. Still, when she circled around the room, the guards followed her every step acting as if their job was a life-or-death deal.

"It is to verify that things go the way they have been planned."

"So if someone tries to kidnap me, you will shoot him down?"

"You know who painted this? What this jay in this represents anyway?" Hanna tried to erase some small talk with the guards but they didn't reply to her.

"I think it takes a while before they let anyone in. Can I watch TV?"

"Fine, watch TV but don't ask any more questions!"

Hanna went to switch on the plasma and then immediately, after seeing the first sight of herself she turned her head away, then turned hot red from embarrassment. It wasn't her when they called Hanna Romy. She focused to be positive, to spread good energy around her, and find the bright sides in every situation. This girl in the reaping tried pathetically to hide her lachrymose face, and spoke weird things to the tributes next to her. Hanna guessed that she didn't really draw the sponsors to her direction. The other tributes were bigger, stronger, older, and more attractive. She was an odd one, considered hippie person who had never even touched a knife. Why would anyone want to cheer for her?

She sorted out her pessimist thoughts. There was no point of worrying what other people would think. Hanna meditated her motto: _what I cannot change, what I cannot influence no matter what, should not concern me._ Nonetheless, she admitted that the reaping was a disaster. She should find her inner peace again and drive away the bad influences. This day should be no exception…

Hanna turned around when hearing a familiar voice saying her name, or somewhat like a nickname, and she ran across the room to lift up the cutest baby in the world. The guards were holding their breaths and almost sprinted to open the windows. Hanna didn't care of the smell at all, though she agreed that her brother could use a diaper change. The baby smiled and curled his tiny hands around a toy dog and Hanna smiled widely back to him.

"Haga!" Oliver sputtered. He pulled Hanna's braid and then moved on to chew her wooden necklace. Hanna's father came to hug her briefly. Actually he just bumped into her with an armful of paper before he started showing important looking documents.

"The minute after what happened I put our house into auction. The leading offer is quite high now, with that money we can send you gifts fairly long. When they've run up, you will have sponsors. I'm in good way planning a campaign for you. Hanna Romy – tribute for you!" Hanna's dad watched her amazed look for a moment and started explaining again.

"We can change the campaign name later if my assistant gets something better. She will answer your sponsor calls if I fall asleep. I've planned everything so don't worry! I will do _everything_ to save…"

"Calm down Dad." Hanna smirked and rolled her eyes."I'm not dead yet."

She could understand why President Snow had picked her father to be his right hand. He was a planner and organizer to the core, always stressing too much about everything. Hanna hadn't yet figured a single trait she'd inherited from him. She was more of an easygoing and down-to-earth type like her mother.

"Where's Mom?" Hanna asked a bit worried. She wouldn't miss this and Hanna couldn't think of a way to bear this without seeing her.

"She comes in last. We thought it's the best plan."

Oliver was such an attention-seeker when he didn't get his sister's full attention. He started to punch their dad with his baby fists. Oliver had a very hard look and he pointed him with the toy.

"Young man! You're showing me doggy's butt?"

Hanna laughed and walked over to a sofa to play with Oliver and his dog. Their dad hardly noticed them when he made phone calls to prospective sponsors. _I appreciate it more than you can understand, _Hanna thought, _but why to worry so much. There is always hope._

Hanna wondered how their life would go on after the Games. She hoped to become a spirit or an angel, so that she could still touch their lives even if she didn't return. Then she thought of the past and the day when Oliver had born came into her mind. Hanna had been so happy when she finally at 12 years got a sibling. She didn't like being only child. She crossed her fingers that her parents would take the bull by the horns and don't wait forever to make a new play mate to Oliver.

Their time went so fast. Before Hanna knew it, her father and brother were already leaving the room. She embraced them tightly and ruffled Oliver's hair for the one last time. She looked carefully so she could remember her brother's habits, appearance, gestures and doggy to the smallest detail. Everything else was unimportant to her. If it was possible, Hanna wanted Oliver's smile to be her last memory of this world.

"They let only the five of us to come in. Talia and Quenna wanted to wish you luck!"

"We will sponsor you!"

"Just remember that the bloodbath is the worst. You need to get straight out of there!"

When Hanna's friends came in, the 15 minutes came to end even faster than the previous. It felt as if it was weeks ago when she had last seen them, when really, they were all together in the reaping. Just before Hanna had walked to the Stage, she quickly whispered her longest-standing friend Pandora that she didn't want everyone to grieve because of her, not today when she could barely keep her own spirit high. Pandora seemed distressed but made her a promise that she'd ensure everyone to act normally. After the last hugs and wistful words, Hanna was alone again when she'd told goodbyes to five more important persons in her life.

She wandered to light some candles because she thought they brought in the right placid atmosphere, though the guards forbad her from switching off the lights. Hanna waited her next visitor having no clue of the person's identity. If her mom would be last and they didn't let more of her friends come, who was still left?

"Hi Hanna", she heard a woman voice to greet her. She recognized their neighbor Edith Ferrer, who had been Panem's Attorney General for over twenty years. Edith used to be one of the Capitol's most powerful people but still none of her decisions could have been implemented without the President's approval. Snow had been dictator so it was like that with everyone.

"Hi Missis Ferrer."

"I'm sorry this happened to you."

Even though Edith had been a close friend of Hanna's mother for years, Hanna still hadn't known to expect her. Edith's son Chester had been chosen to tribute too, right after Hanna. Edith earned Hanna's respect for that she could say goodbyes twice. Hanna knew many couldn't have.

"I get straight to the point. You need to survive the Games. You're just too good, and too young to die."

"What? I don't understand." It made perfectly sense that her dad had told her the same thing. But for Edith Ferrer it was bizarre, unless there was a rule allowing two victors.

"I met Chester before I came to see you. I don't know how that boy's mind works. He told me that he won't come back. He said he doesn't want to live when all the others die."

"So you came to tell me that you will sponsor me 'cause he… won't kill?" Hanna tried to keep up with her. She had decided that if it came to it, she would defend herself. Hanna guessed that even then, her chances of winning would be as nonexistent as for someone who wouldn't kill.

Sponsoring her wouldn't be "a profitable investment", as her father would have put it if he was honest. But maybe Edith's friendship with Hanna's mother was good enough a reason to choose her.

"That's not the case. He will kill. He said that if he's going to die he wants to vote for the victor. I don't know to explain it better, but Chester will kill to protect some others, like you and Emme, his cousin. She was the seventh announced tribute. Anyway, I want you to form an alliance with them. I think it would increase your chances of survival considerably."

"I just don't get him. Why he doesn't want to live, but still kills for me?" Hanna thought Chester as the last person in the world to kill anyone. He didn't even seem to be interested in the Games. The Ferrers always hosted a huge celebration during the middle of the Games, inviting all the rich and powerful people of the Capitol to their mansion. For Hanna, it was her highlight of the year, but she had never seen a sight of Chester in the parties.

"Believe me that I don't get him either. I tried to convince him to try to win. But it's pointless. He won't change his mind."

"I'm between a rock and a hard place now. Of course, I still hope Chester to decide differently. It's very unlikely however, so I will use all my possible contacts to help you."

Edith was leaving. Hanna hadn't decided what she should think about all this. She really didn't know how to act when this proposition came out of nowhere.

"There are very tough tributes in this year, tribute arts champions and one of the history's youngest Game makers. I know it will be hard, but if you hide long enough so that there's only a handful of tributes left… Chester could save you." Though Edith was a career type –person like Hanna's father, she didn't read documents or speak in the phone. She had her fully attention to Hanna.

"I don't know. I don't want to take an advantage of Chester." It was Hanna's biggest fear. How Panem would remember her if she won.

"It wouldn't be like that." Edith's response was short, but the expression on her face told Hanna that she was meant to be a part of this alliance with her son. Hanna's inner spirit could tell it and she knew she would have to follow it, though she couldn't bring herself to say it at loud.

"Okay then. When he asks me to alliance with him, I'll do it."

Hanna had only one visitor left. She walked over to the sofa and wrapped herself under the blankets. Hanna started to cry, her jaw trembled and her teeth rattled. She wanted to be brave, and for others she could pretend that she was. Now she didn't see the point in that anymore, since her mother was so much like her that she would know instantly if Hanna wasn't totally honest.

"Oliver doesn't understand that I will leave soon. But that's good. He won't be heart-broken when he thinks of me. If he'll remember that I live at all..." Hanna's voice came to sound just like a leaf's swish when she talked to her.

"You silly" her mom smiled. "We will tell him about you. The one thing your dad didn't sell was the items that remind of you. You can come back. If you don't, we'll never forget. You will always be our daughter, and we will never stop loving you. You must always know that."

Hanna leaned against her mother's shoulder and swept of some tears to look better at the painting with the jay. Beautiful dark brown bird flew free over the sunlit plains. It made Hanna reflect on her memories of the rebellion. It had changed their lives completely and a lot more changes were still to come. When Hanna heard about the rebellion for the first time, she saw flames. The flames came to her thoughts and dreams constantly after that day. She had known that it was a sign of her protected life to soon end, but she had never expected it to happen like this.

"I think I will pass down in the tube." Hanna's mother lifted her up from the shoulders and put Hanna's palms around her own closed ones. She looked like she was going to break down but managed to speak almost normally.

"I know you won't. We're stronger than that." Hanna's mother opened her hands, and then took them away. A small locket dropped down into Hanna's hand.

"What's this? It's very pretty."

"It is the reason why I came in last. I went home and put those two pictures to your locket. If you want it can be your token."

Hanna opened the golden heart-framed locket and found out that on the other side she was with her friends in an outdoor picnic. There were several people in the picture and it was blurry but she still loved it. In the other picture she was with her family. It was better formed one from her album's cover and her favorite one.

_You're the best Mom I could have ever had. You and Dad never expected anything from me. That's why I've always wanted to give my best, because I knew I would always be enough._

"Thank you Mom."

An hour had gone and they had to leave. Hanna put the locket around her neck and blew out the light candle under the dark jay.

"I love you too. I love you all."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"You still have a chance to win, Perrie", Greta said to Perrie and looked her straight in the eyes. She made it sound almost possible.

"One of the still living victors won when everyone else drowned because the Game makers made the Arena flood. You never know what they will come up with. Can I ask you a favor?"

"What kind of a favor?" Perrie had promised many things today. She told her father to stay strong, and she said to Quinn's mom that she'd look after Quinn. Perrie promised herself that she wouldn't do things she couldn't bear to live with.

"Don't kill Rupert if it isn't a total necessity", Greta asked her. "And tell Quinn too to not to take him out. I really don't want to watch you stabbing each other."

"You don't need to worry about me killing him." _Or any other tribute._

"Thanks Perrie". Greta hugged her till the guards came to rip Perrie to leave to the Remake Center. Perrie just cried and had a million reasons in her head why she or Quinn couldn't survive. _Stop it. I need to keep myself together for my own sake, and Quinn's._

After a while they arrived at Remake Center. The guard on Perrie's right side took the lead and Perrie and the left guard followed him. They walked a long corridor which was surrounded by guards and safety gates. Behind the gates were people taking pictures of Perrie, smiling and winking and screaming at her to give them an exclusive interview. They threw all kinds of junk to the corridor and shouted her to pick an item for her token.

Perrie turned to see the crowd going even crazier just before she strolled through the revolving door. Claudia Sayers, one of the youngest tributes, paced the way intriguingly. She was one of the Gamemakers' kids, chosen from the South Capitol. Quinn had instantly declared that he would sponsor her. At the hotel he had impatiently rushed over to Claudia and shouted if she wanted to form an alliance. Perrie had heard Claudia to refuse, and threatening to kill Quinn with her bare hands if he didn't leave her alone.

Inside the Remake Center Perrie and the guards took the elevator to the floor where the contestants stood in a cluster. Perrie saw two girl tributes speaking to each other, but all the others were silent. She waited to get an approving nod from the leader guard and then ran to see Quinn. He stared distantly at the wall and returned a half-smile to Perrie, somewhat tiredly.

"Did you hear it already? They will style us to the look the District tributes used to have. That's almost like _natural!_ All the boy tributes from the Districts have had short hair. They can make me BALD! I don't want to do this", Quinn sighed. Next to him a boy tribute with long dreadlocks looked at Quinn in shock. Perrie knew Quinn really worried about bigger things than his haircut.

"Are you Pearl Preston?" A girl's voice politely interrupted Perrie from her thoughts. Perrie had the strangest feeling that she'd seen this girl before. The girl was slightly a few years older than her. She had pretty and delicate style, her orange hair was in tall chignon and she wore a black evening gown which had been extended with a grey trail.

"Yes, I'm Pearl. They call me Perrie though." Perrie and Quinn looked the girl curiously.

"It's nice to meet you Perrie", the girl started awkwardly. "Or well, not nice in these circumstances but you know… Anyway, I should introduce myself. I'm Blanche Cavanagh and I will be mentoring you for the Games."

Perrie was surprised when she had expected her mentor being totally different, maybe older, more talkative and perhaps mean. Then Perrie suddenly recognized Blanche and remembered where she had seen her before.

"Did you host the reaping in North Capitol?" Quinn asked. Perrie came to suddenly remember her too. Blanche had been the youngest one of the hostess who had messed up with her lines and seemed being lost and uncomfortable.

"You must be the brother. And, yes, I did", Blanche replied to Quinn and then turned to Perrie again. "We have to get ready for the introduction now, so follow me please."

Perrie made a rushed look over to Quinn and then went rapidly after her mentor who walked toward a long hallway. Perrie had to keep a good distance to Blanche because of the trail. Blanche glanced occasionally behind her to see if Perrie was still following her but didn't say a word.

They get to walk the hallway alone till they came across with three people dragging sparkling black dresses with them and gossiping eagerly. They had to be stylists. Perrie turned to walk backwards to hear extracts from their discussion.

"Poor girl. She's so fake no one will recognize her after the styling."

"Don't be so judging! I think she has unprejudiced attitude."

"Whose tribute is she?"

"Ruby Lee's. You remember the snake woman…"

"Well, the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. The tribute and the mentor are both freaky and as bright as my boot."

"Totally agree with you! Think about Ruby - permanent tattoo over the whole body? She's so last decade."

Perrie suddenly collided with someone and they both fell down. She saw Blanche nowhere near but another tribute.

"I'm sorry." Perrie addressed to the girl."Are you okay?"

"Watch out where you're going." the girl snapped with a rude tone.

"Did you see my mentor, I mean a black dressed young woman going from here? She has also this long gray trail."

"No, I haven't. Not my problem if you can't keep up."

Perrie noticed she'd come across with Avery Carter, the only tribute she had ever talked to besides Quinn.

"Hey, I know you! You're that nutcase District Lover." Avery said smiling.

"Perrie?" Blanche was flitting toward them and looked awkward. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry that I lost you."

"Yeah, I'm okay."

Perrie passed Avery and followed Blanche carefully not to lose her again. They took just a few steps in to a room which looked like a mix of beauty salon and therapist's office. Blanche told Perrie to sit down at the white sofa but stayed up herself and walked aimlessly around the space. An old woman, their Avox, had waited for Blanche and Perrie in the room and looked at them, ready for serving. Blanche ordered the Avox to bring Perrie something to eat. The Avox nodded and left. Perrie was just about to say something to mentor but Blanche started first.

"Your stylist should have come already", she stated nervously. Blanche chew her nails and took a fan from the dresser to cool herself.

"You might think that I'm not much of a mentor", she continued. "I have no experience of this. There are plenty of conventions I'm not accustomed with, but I promise that I will do my best to help you. I will give you my one-hundred percent support, and commitment to keep you alive."

"Why did you want to mentor?" Perrie asked her.

"I didn't." Blanche replied."I wanted to host the reaping. That's what I've always wanted to do. It's been my dream since I was a little girl. The mentoring came as an extra duty I heard just last week."

"Oh, I'm so sorry you have to do some overtime work because of me", Perrie said sarcastically. "But at least you got your dream to host the reaping. How have you liked these Games?"

"No, I haven't enjoyed it, not even the hosting-part. I should be granted for given this opportunity. But the whole thing is just terrible. It's different with these Games."

"Why?"

"It's just that… The Capitol is my home. If this had happened a few years earlier then I could have been where you're standing now. It gives a different perspective to watch the Games, to be a part of them."

Perrie couldn't keep her anger and frustration at bay, but she knew this wasn't her mentor's fault. Actually Perrie could even say that Blanche was genuinely on her side and that she liked her.

The Avox woman came back with their dishes. Perrie smiled to her and thanked.

"I assumed that you wanted to be together with your half-brother." Blanche noted. Perrie replied instantly.

"I'll be with him. There's no question about it."

"Good, then we'll get a head start. I have already contacted Quintus's mentor."

"You probably know already that the war wasn't kind to the Training Center. The previous floors for Districts 8-12 are anything but habitable. We get to use just the floors which were for Districts from one to six. That means four tributes to one floor. Mentors and stylists stay there as well."

"Can I be with Quinn?"

"His mentor has managed you to the same floor. It's reasonable when we would work together anyway. There are one girl and one boy tribute besides you and Quintus. Your brother's mentor thinks the boy would be a good ally for you. I can't though remember the boy tribute's name though. I'm sorry. But you get to meet him today, before the introduction or at last at your apartment."

"Who's the girl tribute?" Perrie asked. Hopefully someone she'd get along with.

"She's seventeen like you. I don't know if the name says anything to you, there were so many tributes chosen. But her name is Avery Carter."

Perrie thought she'd choke with her cake when she heard that she would have to live together with Avery Carter.

"But we don't have to be like roommates, right?"

"Actually you will be roommates during your Training time. All the tributes have a roommate of the same gender. There just wasn't enough rooms to everyone when half of the building has been destroyed."

"Oh."

Perrie pondered how much she could trust Blanche and what she should tell to her. She tried to delay to finish her meal to make her decision. Blanche sat next to her and finally cut the silence when Perrie just sipped her drink and avoided eye-contact with her.

"Perrie, I know I already said this, but I tell you this again", Blanche spoke to her. Perrie turned to her mentor and took a deep breath.

"I'm here to help you. So you can tell me anything, anything you think I should know. I haven't experienced the Games like the mentors used to have. I can't give you tips on how to stay alive. I can, however, help you make a strategy to survive, but I need you to be open and tell what you definitely want, or cannot, do. I'm not just going to tell you to kill them all and get sponsors to send you the best weapons. You can die and this is about your last days, not mine."

"I don't want to kill anyone", Perrie said. She watched Blanche's gentle look on her and then continued to share with her the whole story of how she felt about the Games.


End file.
